Word of the Day
bremsstrahlung
noun
radiation emitted by a charged particle when accelerating.
Why Brenda M. chose bremsstrahlung
During Dictionary Week, we asked you to share words that inspire you. We liked some submissions so much, we selected them as our Word of the Day!
Bremsstrahlung was contributed by Brenda M., who says: “It’s radiation emitted by a charged particle when accelerating, just like the way I like to move through life—radiating charged particles. Hopefully positively charged.”More about bremsstrahlung
Bremsstrahlung is a borrowing from German comprising Bremse, “brake,” and Strahlung, “radiation,” the latter from Strahl, “beam, ray of light” and originally “arrow.” Strahl is related to English streale, a dialectal word for “arrow” in southeastern England. Bremsstrahlung was first recorded in English in the early 1940s.
EXAMPLE OF BREMSSTRAHLUNG USED IN A SENTENCE
The electron hovered around the atomic nucleus, releasing bremsstrahlung as it lost some speed.
craic
noun
fun and entertainment, especially good conversation and company.
Why Craig D. chose craic
During Dictionary Week, we asked you to share words that inspire you. We liked some submissions so much, we selected them as our Word of the Day!
Craic was contributed by Craig D., who says, “First, it's a pun—my given name is Craig. It describes the best times with friends and warms my heart with memories of my wife. It is a central portion of my joie de vivre.”More about craic
Craic comes from the English word crack. In Scottish English and in northern English dialect, crack has the sense “chat, gossip,” which may be the source of craic. Or craic may come from crack, a shortening of wisecrack. We know that craic is an Irish Gaelic spelling representing the English pronunciation, and in that form, entered English in the 20th century.
EXAMPLE OF CRAIC USED IN A SENTENCE
The recent graduates smiled sadly as they agreed that they would miss the craic.
tintinnabulation
noun
the ringing or sound of bells.
Why Dana P. chose tintinnabulation
During Dictionary Week, we asked you to share words that inspire you. We liked some submissions so much, we selected them as our Word of the Day!
Tintinnabulation was contributed by Dana P., who says: “You can literally hear little bells chiming when you read it. Onomatopoeic, isn't it? And I learned it on Dictionary.com!”More about tintinnabulation
Tintinnabulation is based on the Latin verb tintinnāre, meaning “to ring.” Tintinnāre was created by mimicking the sound of ringing, similar to English ding-dong. Tintinnabulation is often credited to Edgar Allan Poe, who featured the word in his poem The Bells in 1848, but Charles Dickens used tintinnabulation a year prior in his novel Dombey and Son.
EXAMPLE OF TINTINNABULATION USED IN A SENTENCE
A tintinnabulation resounded from the front desk as the guests tried to alert the hotel staff of their arrival.